Rodney Stevens

The Clarence Valley’s richest bowls tournament has been run and won and the organisers of the $10,000 Club Iluka Stella Artois Seafood Men’s Fours have hailed the event as such a success that planning has begun for next year’s tournament.

The Stella Artois Seafood Men’s Fours Tournament saw 112 bowlers from all over New South Wales and Queensland battling it out for prizemoney totalling $10,200 last weekend at Club Iluka.

Club Iluka chairman Phil Wrice said the players all said the weekend was a great event with many top-level players competing.

“We had some really top-class players, there were former and current state players, and the competition was of a very high standard,” he said.

“We had players from Hervey Bay, Bateau Bay on the Central Coast, Burleigh Heads, Helensvale, Alstonville, Paradise Point, Pottsville, Park Beach, a couple of teams from Sawtell.

“The excellent prizemoney on offer courtesy of our generous sponsors attracted some top-level players.

“But it’s not just about prizemoney, for the keen bowlers it’s the camaraderie too, because they come and play against blokes they may have not seen for 12 months or more and enjoy a sherbet or two.”

Part of the attraction of the tournament, Mr Wrice said was the ‘all you can eat’ prawns as part of the entry, with competitors devouring a whopping 60kg.

“All the prawns you can eat was an attraction in itself, because being in Iluka we are renowned for our prawns,” he said.

“We got through 60kg of prawns, some people said I ordered too many, but it wasn’t to be.”

After a weekend of first-class bowls competition, Mr Wrice said he was very fortunate to be part of the winning team with his son Brendan, Nic Gosley and Tim Smith.

“We had an excellent team,” he said.

“My son lives at Hervey Bay and he brought down two bowlers from there, and I know at least one of them has been a state player.

“I’ve never played with anyone with his ability before.”

Club Iluka General Manager Nicola Donsworth said the tournament was a huge success, with hundreds of people enjoying the weekend.

“The tournament went really well, there were a lot of people who all enjoyed themselves, along with some excellent bowls played over the weekend,” she said.

The Queensland side of Nic Gosley, Tim Smith, Brendan Wrice and Club Iluka president Phil Wrice were unbeaten with five wins to take out first place winning $4000 in prize money. 

Runners up claiming $2000 were composite side Paul Gray, Robert Wetzel, John Wilcok and Dave Neilson.

In third place, Dean Perkins, Joshua McDonald, Graham Higgins and Indi Conlon won $1000.

Fourth to seventh placings claimed $400 per side and five round winners took home $240 per team.

And as a big thank you for coming, a $400 prize was drawn for a lucky team who had not already claimed a prize and that went to Evans Head side of Tony Clark, Phil White, Steven Clark and Mark Scurr.

Mr Wrice said without the generous support of sponsors Stella Artois, Kane & Marty Stephenson of Complete Metal Industries, BCIB Insurance Brokers, LJ Hooker Iluka, Iluka IGA, Hogues Hot Bread and Gordon Farrell for sourcing the prawns for our finale Seafood Lunch on Sunday, the event would not have been possible.